A Belgian activist campaigning against the construction of a controversial oil pipeline in Uganda was arrested on Monday during a protest march in the capital, Kampala, a police spokesperson has confirmed to local media.
Marjolein Moreaux was arrested on Monday alongside three Ugandans as they marched to the Chinese embassy to protest against the 1,445-km East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) which will carry crude oil from oilfields in western Uganda to a port on Tanzania's coast.
The group of seven activists sought to present a petition urging the Chinese government to withdraw support for China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), a minority stakeholder in the project.
Four activists were arrested and would face charges of common nuisance and inciting violence, the spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan police, Luke Owoyesigyire, is quoted as saying by Daily Monitor news site.
Destroy ecosystems
Critics of the pipeline say the project will displace tens of thousands of people, destroy fragile ecosystems and undermine efforts to limit carbon emissions.
The pipeline is majority-owned by France's TotalEnergies, with China's CNOOC and the Ugandan and Tanzanian governments holding minority stakes. They have previously said the project will only displace about 5000 people.
Uganda's first oil is expected to flow in 2025 and the project has been hailed by President Yoweri Museveni as an economic boon for the landlocked country where many live in poverty.
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